30 



J. STANLEY GARDINER. 



In most of the sections the greatest height is close to the top of the seaward beach, 

 but in F it lies 66 feet back from this position. A seventh section G (Fig. 7), opposite 

 the village in Ko-Vari bay, gave an elevation of 19 ft. 3 in., close to the sea, and heights 

 up to 20 feet occur on both sides of Mou-Rambu point, decreasing northwards to a general 

 height of 14 feet and to the south of 12| feet. The abnormal height of the beach continues 

 to Teveratu point right along Ko-Vari bay. At my first examination I did not deem this 

 exceptional, since on this part, esj)ecially supposing the atoll at one time a reef awash, 



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SEA LEVEL 



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Fig. 7. Sections across Minikoi (see Fig. 6). In every case the seaward face is represented to the right. Vertical 



scale 8 times the horizontal. 



masses of rock and coral would, I considered, naturally tend to be piled up in each mon- 

 soon. Inside this ridge the surface of the land had been, I saw, much lowered by previous 

 generations of the natives for planting purposes, and also to form pits for macerating the 

 coconut husks for coir'. 



My attention being especially drawn to this, I re-e.xamined the whole carefully, and 

 dug a number of pits, coming to the conclusion that the ridge may have been broadened 

 by the above means, but that its height is due to absolutely natural causes. An elevation 

 then, allowing for rainwater denudation, of at least 2-t feet demands explanation. 



' This hollowing out of garden land — totam, as it is called I did not meet with it in any part of the Maldives. Coir is 

 — is common throughout the whole of the Laccadives for rope made from the fibre of the coconut husk. 

 ragghee (grain) growing, and also for bananas and yams. 



